State Guide
Age of Consent in Alaska
A plain-English guide to the age of consent in Alaska, cited to AS 11.41.436. Alaska may currently be updating this law; see the note on possible pending changes below.
Close-in-age allowance, 3–4 years depending on victim ageAlaska at a glance
The core figures from this guide, in one place.
| Age of consent | 16 |
|---|---|
| Governing statute | AS 11.41.436 (Sexual Abuse of a Minor, 2nd Degree) |
| Close-in-age mechanism | Not covered below 4 years (victim 13–15) or 3 years (victim under 13) |
| Age-based defense, if any | None needed — statute simply doesn’t apply below the gap |
| Related offense | Sexual abuse of a minor, 4th degree — the misdemeanor, contact-only parallel |
Overview
Alaska sets its age of consent at 16. AS 11.41.436, sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, only reaches sexual penetration with someone 13 through 15 where the offender is 17 or older and at least four years older. Below that gap, this specific provision does not apply.
Age of consent in Alaska
AS 11.41.436(a)(1) makes it a class B felony for a person 17 or older to engage in sexual penetration with someone 13 through 15 who is at least four years younger than the offender. A separate provision, subsection (a)(2), covers sexual contact with a victim under 13 by an offender 16 or older.
Close-in-age rules in Alaska
The gap thresholds differ by the victim’s age:
- Victim 13, 14, or 15: sexual penetration is only covered if the offender is 17 or older and at least four years older.
- Victim under 13: sexual contact is covered where the offender is 16 or older, without the same numeric gap language; a related, narrower provision covers an offender under 16 with at least a three-year gap.
- Victim 16 or 17: not covered by this section unless the offender is 18 or older, at least three years older, and occupies a position of authority over the victim.
Exceptions and defenses
For a 16 or 17 year old victim, the position-of-authority condition means an ordinary consensual relationship without such a relationship is generally not reached by this specific statute at all, separate from the numeric age-gap question. A parallel, lesser offense, sexual abuse of a minor in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor, covers similar age combinations for contact-only conduct with somewhat different thresholds.
Applicable statutes
The codified Alaska law this guide is drawn from.
Practical examples
Example 1. A 15-year-old and an 18-year-old, a three-year gap. Because the gap is under four years, AS 11.41.436(a)(1) does not reach this conduct.
Example 2. A 14-year-old and a 20-year-old, a six-year gap. This meets the four-year threshold, so sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree applies, a class B felony.
Example 3. A 17-year-old and their 25-year-old coach, an eight-year gap. Because the coach occupies a position of authority and is at least three years older, this specific provision applies even though the victim is 16 or older.
Frequently asked questions about Alaska
What is the age of consent in Alaska?
16. Below that age, AS 11.41.436 applies gap-based thresholds that vary depending on the victim’s specific age.
Does Alaska have a Romeo and Juliet law?
Yes, built into AS 11.41.436. For a victim 13 through 15, the statute does not apply if the gap is under four years.
Is Alaska law on this topic changing?
Possibly. This guide found legislative bill text and news coverage suggesting an active effort to revise this framework, potentially widening the allowed gap for 16 and 17 year olds. This guide could not confirm whether such a change has taken effect.
Does a position of authority change anything?
Yes. For a 16 or 17 year old victim, a position of authority such as a coach or teacher can bring this statute into play even where an ordinary peer relationship would not be covered.
Are married minors treated differently?
Yes. Alaska has a marital exemption allowing consensual sexual activity between a married minor and their adult spouse.
Official sources
Primary and official sources this guide is built from.
Thresholds by victim age
Alaska narrows or widens the gap depending on the victim’s age and the relationship.
| Victim | Condition | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 13–15 | Sexual penetration | 4 years |
| Under 13 | Sexual contact, offender under 16 | 3 years |
| 16–17 | Only with a position of authority | 3 years |
About this guide
Who wrote it, who reviewed it, and when it was last checked.
RomeoAndJulietLaw.com Editorial Team
Drafted from the Alaska Statutes and Alaska State Legislature bill-tracking records, cross-checked against multiple independent legal references.
Pending attorney review
This guide has not yet been checked by a licensed Alaska attorney. It is sourced and cited, but should not be treated as attorney-reviewed until this line is updated with a named reviewer.
Primary source for this guide
Editorial notes
This guide reflects AS 11.41.436 as most consistently codified across official and legal-reference sources as of 25 July 2026. It has not yet been reviewed by a licensed Alaska attorney. A significant open question is flagged above: legislative bill text and news coverage suggest Alaska may be actively revising its age of consent and close-in-age framework. This guide could not confirm whether a newer version has taken effect, and this should be the first item checked in any future review.